The Fourth Quarter Quell
by pearlsandrhinestones
Summary: 25 years after the rebellion, the Hunger Games have continued. The country was hungry for the blood of capitol children. Peeta has died in a battle against the rebelling capitol citizens, and now Katniss has been made a mentor for the Fourth Quarter Quell. Her daughter Rue, who is in love with a Hawthorne, has the ability to be reaped.
1. Introduction

Introduction

Katniss Mellark lives in the beautiful country of Panem. Twenty-five years ago the districts rebelled against the capitol and won. The years of struggle leading up to the rebellion are now called the dark days, but they are difficult to forget. After the districts won the rebellion, it was decided that another Hunger Games would take place with capitol children. When the first one took place, it was again decided that twenty-four more would happen in order to avenge the deaths of all the people that died at the hands of the capitol. Around the time of the 94th Hunger Games, the people of the capitol decided to rebel, and many people, including Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne, were called to battle. In the end, the districts prevailed, although many lives were lost in the process, including Katniss's husband.

Katniss Mellark, previously Katniss Everdeen, married Peeta Mellark and had two beautiful children. The first, a girl, was ten years old when Peeta went to fight in the battle. She was named Rue after Katniss's close ally and friend in the games. When Peeta left, a boy was on the way, and they named him Cinna after Katniss's stylist and close friend in the games.

But there is no living, if life is happening without Peeta Mellark.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 **Rue's POV**

I see him. He's running, screaming, and beckoning for unknown soldiers behind him, still fighting their way through the smoke screen. I try to run to him, but my limbs won't respond. He's running toward a man with gray seam eyes and dark brown hair, the one I've come to know as Gale, but mother doesn't speak of him much. He made it out alive from the war, but my father didn't.

I turn my attention back to the other man. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, I immediately know that it's my father in the final moments of his life. Every inch of him looks the same as I remember. I was only 10 when he died. Cinna wasn't even born yet. All around us, the forest is on fire. Dad begins to run straight at me, with his hand reaching out for mine. Now inches away from me, I try to move toward him but my legs are still paralyzed. He makes it, and he touches my arm. My Dad is a survivor. He gazes into my eyes for a moment with a loving gesture, before the flames swallow him whole.

Suddenly there is complete darkness and a lack of sound. I'm awoken by my screams, drenched in sweat. I sigh, "It was just a dream..."

 **Katniss's POV**

My eyes flutter open and the first thing I hear is the heavy breathing of my daughter. I know she does not want to arouse me, but I get up anyway. I silently pass Cinna's room and enter Rue's. She looks up, her eyes full of tears and her clothes soaked with sweat. I run to her and wrap my arms around her saying, "Shh... It's okay, you just had a nightmare." We sit there for a few moments, just the two of us, holding on as if the unthinkable would happen if we let go.

"How do you," Rue manages to say between the sobs, "deal with seeing him die in your mind over and over again?" I don't tell her how I don't deal with it, how his arms are never there to comfort me like they should be. How I replay the scene in my mind where he left, how I should have been the one to go.

"Well, I think of happy things," I lie, "How I have you and Cinna and how happy we are together." She forces a smile. I do not want her to be strong for me. Somehow, I managed to not fall into the depressed state that my mother did when my father died. I stayed strong for my children so I don't need them being strong for me. Cinna knows what my nightmares are about. He has heard my screams and Rue's heavy breathing in the middle of the night. Rue knows of Peeta's episodes when he would grasp a chair until the flashbacks were over.

After a moment, Rue says, "Will you stay here with me?"

"Always," I murmur. We fall asleep in each other's arms with no nightmares to wake us.

 **Rue's POV**

In the morning when I wake up, I find that my mother is gone. I sit in my bed and look out my window at the house being built next to ours. Since the change in government, the economy has greatly improved. District 12 is no longer poor. Residential area has extended to the meadow. Our house was one of the first built in the meadow and mother insisted on it being built here rather than in the town.

As the world outside gets gradually light, I decide to get ready for the day. These days, it usually takes me longer to get ready. Soon, we'll be in the midst of "Game Season" as I like to call it. In the couple of months leading up to the games, T.V crews are more abundant and common to see. This isn't a problem for most kids, but it is for me. Being the Mockingjay's daughter, I get more media attention than the average person. During game season, the interest in our family sky rockets.

"Rue," my mother calls from down the stairs, "Cinna and I are going to the market. Would you like to come?"

"Yes! I'll be down in a second!" I answer. I quicken my pace and finish in five minutes. As I'm leaving my room, a blaring noise from the T.V stops me in my tracks. A news cast from the capitol begin to play. Along the bottom of the screen, it says _Mentors?_ in big, red letters. Pius Flickerman appears on the screen in a plush, red seat. He closely resembles is father Caesar who my mother has met many times. Pius has taken up the same profession as his father, interviewing people for the games and other entertainment purposes.

"Welcome, everyone," he says, "We're here to talk to our head game maker, Johanna Mason. Welcome Johanna!" Johanna walks on the stage, dressed in a tailored business suit and the crowd cheers.

"So Johanna," starts Pius, "the question on everybody's mind is, who will be the mentors? Seems like it can only be answered by you."

"You're right, Pius," Johanna says, "I was thinking, that in the memory of our final year of the Hunger Games, we should bring in some special people to be mentors." She finishes with a sly smirk on her face, knowing that the audience is hanging on her every word.

"Yes..." Pius pushes.

"Oh, we were thinking that it would be nice to have a mentor with personal experience. Someone like, Katniss Everdeen."


	3. Chapter 2

**Katniss's POV**

As I walk into Rue's room, I catch Johanna Mason's final words, "Someone like, Katniss Everdeen." I grab onto the chair beside me and my eyes flicker towards Rue. Her mouth is open with horror as she runs from the room, knowing to grab Cinna and get out of the house. She's growing up to fast, I think, before my mind is bombarded with horrific images.

First, I see my little sister's name being pulled out at the reaping. Then, I see little Rue, my ally in the games, tiny and sweet, covered in flowers. Next, I see Cato, mad by the mutts, falling to his death. Then, there is Mags, falling to the ground from the poisonous gas. Then comes Finnick, being pulled apart by the mutts in the drain. Finally, there's Peeta, but he's too far away to touch.

For me, I think, they all died for me. My hand slams on the table as I pick up the phone to call Johanna. As the phone rings, I look out the window to see Rue and Cinna running over to Victor's Village. They're okay because Rue knows what to do.

"I figured I'd be hearing from you," Johanna says through the phone.

"Mentors?" I say, trying to be firm, but it comes out as more of a question.

"It was smart," she explains, "A widow with two children and she's a victor? Pure television."

I start to get angry with her, "You know about the nightmares! You know perfectly well that I can't do this!" Johanna is silent, she knows too much from her own games. How it would be impossible for me to send two kids to slaughter.

"Listen, I know that it's been rough on you," Johanna answers, "But toughen up. Think of it, this way, you're ending the Hunger Games forever and you're going to do all you can to keep these kids alive." I don't think I've ever heard her be this sentimental.

"But..." I stutter, "He's not... I can't."

"Katniss," Johanna interrupts, "I know Peeta's not here. I know that this is hard. But you need to get out of this state where you pretend to be brave when you aren't. Do it for your kids. Be brave. _End the Hunger Games forever."_

My mind stops, but I hear myself answer, "Okay." I can almost see the wicked grin on Johanna's face.

"Then I guess I'll see you next week. Peacemakers will be by to collect your things and move you and your family to the capitol. You will all become capitol citizens for the time being. Happy Hunger Games Katniss." She hangs up the phone before I have the chance to respond. My children... will become capitol citizens. Instead of dialing the phone to call back Johanna, I start dialing Haymitch's number. It rings a few times before I hear Effie's chirpy voice answer the phone.

"Hello Katniss!"

I get straight to the point and ask, "Are the kids there?"

She takes a pause, but then says, "Yes, they are here... Katniss what did you say to Johanna?" Rue must have told her what happened.

"Well Effie, I said yes."

Effie makes a little shrieking noise before saying, "You said yes?!"

 **Rue's POV**

"Come on Mom, let's go to the market!" I say, trying to persuade her away from the T.V, knowing of the foul words that are about to come. My mother says nothing. I start running down the stairs when I hear the phone being dialed. I hurry up because I know the shouting will soon begin. I rush by Cinna sitting on the couch, watching the workers building the house next door. I grab him, holding him in my arms, and then continue to run. We burst out the door, just as I hear Mom beginning to shout upstairs. I used to do this when Dad had flashbacks, except I would be taking Mom far away from him. When we get far enough away from the house, I put Cinna down.

In his sweet, little voice he asks, "Where are we goin?"

"Haymitch called. He wants us to go see him, okay? It'll be fun!" I lie while using a chirpy voice. Mom and I try to keep him from as many of our problems as possible because we want him to keep his innocence. He's only six, so he doesn't need to know about any of this. Cinna nods and we start walking towards town square. The cobblestone is inlaid with the seal of Panem, The new seal, the one with my mother's bird in the middle. I lead Cinna around the outside so that I don't draw attention to us. We walk around town until we reach the path to Victor's village. As we walk down the path I see the houses where, according to my mother, victors from the Hunger Games lived. Now all the houses in district 12 are as nice as these. We're lucky, life has gotten a lot better for the people in the districts of Panem.

When we finally reach Haymitch and Effie's doorstep, I don't bother ringing the doorbell before leading Cinna through the door. "Haymitch?" I yell. After hearing my voice, Haymitch stumbles to the hallway.

"Hey there kids," He starts, his breath smells of cheap liquor.

I interrupt him, saying, "Cinna, why don't you go play outside for a bit? I need to talk to Haymitch." Cinna nods, and then runs out the door to go play.

"So I'm guessing your mother saw the interview," Haymitch says, taking a seat in the kitchen.

"Of course she did. Why else would we be here?" I respond, completely out of breath.

"You know, you get more and more like your mother everyday. The sarcasm is getting old, Rue."

"Your breath smelling like booze is getting a little old too, Haymitch." He doesn't respond. Whenever we talk, we're always arguing. But that's the way it's always been, so I never think too much of it. "Do you think Mom's really going to be a mentor?" I ask, not knowing if I really want to know the answer.

"I don't know sweetheart," he sighs, "I can't read her mind. But if I know Katniss, whatever decision she makes will be the right one in the long run." For some reason, even his drunken state, the right answer seems to always come out of his mouth.

"Hello darling!" Effie shrieks as she walks into the room. Somehow, back when the dark days were ending, Haymitch and Effie started to get along _really well._ Now they live together here in Victor's Village. They aren't officially married, but they don't really need to be. They act like a married couple anyway. For some reason, I suspect they only live here to keep an eye on my mother. Which is good in times like these.

"Hi Effie," I say, forcing a smile. Her heels click as she walks over to me and wraps me up in a big hug.

I stand there awkwardly for a moment before she finally stops and says, "I can't believe that interview. Your mother? A mentor? That is truly the craziest thing I have ever heard in my whole life." Although she's over exaggerating, her words do make me feel the slightest bit better.

"Now Effie," Haymitch says, "We don't know what her decision will be, so don't put any ideas in the girl's head." Then, the phone rings. My mother most likely, checking to make sure that Cinna and I made it to Haymitch's.

Again, Effie's heels click over to the phone and then she says, "Hello Katniss!" A moment of silence, "Yes, they are here.. Katniss, what did you say to Johanna?" Effie wastes no time before saying, "You said yes?!" I gasp. I can't believe my mother would do this; take part in something that she has nightmares about. Something that almost killed her on the inside. She basically lost her _husband_ because of it. Now she's sending kids to their deaths.

"She's coming over." Effie says, her voice no longer full of joy.

"I can't believe her!" I say in rage.

Before I can continue, Haymitch interrupts, "Now don't be upset with her. You have no idea what she went through. Maybe by doing this, she'll finally get some closure." Closure by killing off kids.

"I just can't believe she's doing this without..." Effie starts to say.

"Peeta," Haymitch finishes, "I have no idea how she'll do this without your father."

She's strong, just, not strong enough.


End file.
